Of Yellow Headbands and Piano Lessons
by cloudy.skye
Summary: Basically, the story of A Wonderful Life told in Lumina's pov. Some artistic liscence was taken, of course. Rated T because :P Mostly fluff in early chapters but it may become a little more somber. Officially on hiatus.
1. The Beginning

Hey, all. Wow, I can't believe I'm actually writing fanfiction again. Shocking isn't it? This story, as you may already know is based on Harvest Moon: A wonderful life Special Edition and told from the new eligible bride, Lumina's, pov. Note: Lumina is not an oc. She is actually in the game. I might add info about her in another chappie if people seem confused. So, yeah. Just wrote this really quick/for fun. Oh, and one more thing. In my game I named the main farming character Ryuu. Now, without further, annoying, pre-chapter note adu, I'm proud to present the first chapter (which is kind of more like the prologue). Enjoy!

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Living up in a huge mansion with my grandmother and her butler in a tiny oceanside town, I used to get lonely. It wasn't that I didn't have any friends. Every now and then I would go to visit Kassey and Patrick, the pyrotechnic twins. They're a lot of fun. No, I was most lonely when I was alone in the villa. When my grandmother, or Auntie Romana as she insists I call her, was out on a walk and her butler, Sebastian, was in his room and I was stuck indoors practicing piano. Those were my most miserable days. Well, they _were_, anyway.

I can easily trace all the changes and things that happened to me back to one day. It was the first day of my second spring in Forget-me-not valley. I was downstairs practicing a cheery waltz on the piano. I kept making mistakes and having to start over but my audience, the three cats who lived at the villa, didn't seem to mind. Auntie Romana and Sebastian were in her room. Everything was very peaceful.

All of the sudden, there was a bang as my Auntie Romana came bustling out of her room with Sebastian at her heals. She looked, if possible, even more dressed up than she normally did. I quickly noticed that she had put on some of the old jewelry that my grandfather had given her long ago and that she had added an extra layer of makeup to her face. Grateful for the distraction, I turned on the piano bench to face her.

"You look nice, Auntie," I commented. It is usually best to start conversations with my grandmother off with a compliment. "Are you going somewhere?"

My grandmother spared me a quick glance. "Lumina, dear, please go change your shirt," she said before returning to her monologue to Sebastian.

"Why?" I asked, surprised. "What's going-" But, before I could finish my hurried question there was a knock on the manor's large, carved double doors.

"Oo, they're here!" My grandmother exclaimed and went to answer the door.

Though still slightly annoyed, I stood up and stretched. Whatever was happening, I would find out what it was soon enough. In one swift movement I scooped up one of my grandmother's cats, the orange striped one, and went to stand with Sebastian and Auntie Romana. Sebastian swung the doors open and we all stepped outside.

There were two men waiting to greet us: Takakura, the man who lived on the old farm across the river from Vesta's, and someone I hadn't met. He was much younger than Takakura, only a little older than me. He had rather messy brown hair and was wearing farm clothes. He smiled at me and I smiled back. Takakura stepped forward.

"Good afternoon Miss Romana," he began politely. "I'd like you to meet Ryuu," he indicated the other man, who waved a little. "He's going to be working on the farm. Ryuu, this is Miss Romana, Sebastian, Miss Lumina, and…" he trailed off looking pointedly at me.

All eyes suddenly fell on me. It took me a moment to realize that they were all staring at the ginger cat in my arms. "Oh," I blushed. "This is Leo."

The tension eased. Auntie Romana asked Takakura something while Ryuu continued watching Leo. "He's cute. May I?"

"Sure," I glowed. I love it when people like our cats.

He moved a little closer and gently relieved me of Leo. The cat only seemed unsettled for a moment then he had snuggled up against the boy's chest and started to purr. I couldn't help but giggle.

It took me another moment to realize that everyone was looking at us again. "Well, we'd better go," Takakura said.

"Sorry," Ryuu murmured and returned Leo to me. "Some other time."

I didn't honestly expect him to come back to the villa just to see the cats. We weren't exactly next door to his farm but I smiled all the same. "That sounds nice."

I watched Takakura and him walk back down the paved walkway that led back to town feeling sad and lonely again. Little did I know, I would be seeing Ryuu again sooner than I thought.

"Lumina, come back inside. You need to finish practicing."

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I'm no good at writing in first person, so if my grammar slipped at one point or another, I apologize. As always, all reviews are read and appreciated (no flames, tho). Thanks for reading! 'Till next time, adieu! 


	2. Ryuu's Second Visit

Hola again fellow fanfic writer/reader. First off I like the thank Hay Lin rox, PhoenixAvenger II, and Momo-chan12 for the kind reviews on the first chappie, prologue, thing. You guys are so nice:D So, I'm trying something a little different this chapter. Instead of the story just coming from Lumin's pov, I decided to try putting the first half of the chappie in Ryuu's pov. It seemed like a good idea at the time but I'd like to know what my readers think. If you plan on reviewing, please tell me what you thought. Also, I forgot to put in a disclaimer last time so I'll put it in twice this time.

Disclaimer: I own nothing! Not the setting, not the characters, I barely own the plot for goodness sake!

Disclaimer: I own nothing! Not the setting, not the characters, I barely own the plot for goodness sake!

Now, let's go one with the show!

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"Nice to meet you, Ryuu. Come again any time," Vesta said cheerfully as she handed me the multiple bags of seeds that I had just bought.

From under all the tomato and watermelon seeds, I knew my voice would probably sound muffled, but attempted to affect some gratitude any way. "Thank you," the seed-mountain replied.

I clumsily stumbled off Vesta's property before halting to swing my rucksack off my back. After several moments' struggle the seeds were tucked away in my bag. When I tried to lift it onto my shoulders, however, I nearly fell over backwards. _Jeez, _I thought as I steadied myself on the rickety fence that surrounded Vesta's farm. _Who would've guessed that seeds would be so heavy? _

My eyes drifted over the field. Despite the increased work load, living on a farm in a quiet little village was far more pleasant than city life. I wondered dully if my father would have been proud to see me now, living his dreams of farming…

My wandering gaze came to rest on a flower- a Goddess Drop, maybe? It was very pretty. The faces of the girls in the valley swam, unbidden, into focus in my mind's eye. I had been told recently that it was important for me to find a bride. But would any of these women be interested in me? The memory of the young girl up at Romana's Villa, the one with the cat and the yellow headband, came to mind. She seemed nice enough but that didn't mean that she would go for me.

I frowned a little, strode over, and plucked the flower from its earthy home. _Only one way to find out,_ I thought stubbornly before jogging off in the direction of Romana's Villa, flower in hand.

As was my custom, after a long and extremely dull morning spent practicing piano indoors, I burst outside and into the bright sun of the terrace in the front of Auntie's house. I smiled as the light warmed my face and a gentle breeze brushed past me. I love spring. With a contented little sigh, I flopped down on the lip of the Villa's courtyard fountain. I had only just closed my eyes when I heard footsteps. Someone was coming up to the villa. My eyes flicked open in time to see Ryuu walking through the wrought iron gate.

_He's back,_ I thought, surprised. "Hi, Ryuu."

"Hello Lumina," he doubled over panting. "Wow. Has anyone ever told you that you live on a very steep hill?"

My broad grin, which had momentarily been wiped away by shock, now returned. "So how do you like farm life so far? Is it fun?"

Ryuu straightened up. "Yeah, I'm already busy, though. I bought some seeds from Vesta so I have to plant those when I get home. I also have to milk my cow again and put in an order for a chicken," he stopped short and smiled sheepishly. "Sorry, don't mean to lecture."

"No, its okay," I said at once. I was interested in what life on the farm was like. Still, I could not suppress a satirical thought. Ryuu seemed nice enough but if he was so busy why had he come all the way to my grandma's villa?

As if he could read my mind, he went on, suddenly a little nervous, "But anyway, I came to give- because I thought you might… do you want it?" he said, obviously struggling to choose the right words, and pulled out a flower.

I blinked he had caught me off guard again. "It's lovely," I said. "Can I have it?"

"Of course, I brought it for you," he sounded relieved. He handed me the Goddess Drop flower.

To be honest, I wasn't sure how I felt yet, somehow, I still managed a look of gratitude. "I love it. Thank you, Ryuu."

"I'm glad. Alright, I'll see later then," And with a little wave he turned and began to trot back down the hill.

For the second time I watched his brown-haired head bobbing away into the distance. I twirled the flower he had given me between my forefinger and thumb for a bit before bringing it inside. Once it was safely placed in a vase on the kitchen counter, I stepped back to admire the effect and smiled to myself. From the looks of things, I'd made a new friend.

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I was thinking of putting Ryuu's parts of the story in third person. Please, please, please review and tell me. As always, all reviews are read and appreciated. Thanks again for everyone's support! Happy Mardi Gras! 


	3. Playing Freely

Hey, all! Oh my goodness, chapter two got so many reviews! I'm so happy! Thanx to Hay Lin rox, Momo-chan12, PhonixAvenger IV, and Rinikittybabe for your super fabulous reviews. I love you guys! Special thanks to Rinikittybabe for pointing out that the divider thing-ys that I put in weren't showing up (I fixed that this chappie btw). Guess what? It's disclaimer time!

Disclaimer: I do not own Harvest Moon or any of its characters, plots, scenes, and settings.

This chappie is based (loosely) on the first cutscene w/ Lumina. I worked forever to get the intro and Lumina's monologue right. Enjoy!

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Spring 5, Year 1

Ryuu

I fell backwards gratefully onto the wishing well next to the Blue Bar. The first half of Spring had passed me in a blur. I was slowly beginning to realize that I was stupid for thinking life out in the country would be relaxing and easy. What with crops, animals, mining, and fishing, I was twice as busy as I had ever been in the city. Going to see Lumina up at Romana's Villa had also become part of my daily schedule. I really like going to visit her, more than I could have ever imagined I would. Yet I still didn't feel that I knew her very well. There was so much about her that I still hadn't uncovered.

I stood up and stretch, yawning. I grimaced and began to jog up Romana's hill. I always run that hill, just to get the worst over with quickly. When I finally reached the peak I slowed to a walk, breathing hard, then stopped. A smooth, elegant sound was drifting across the courtyard. People in town had told me of Lumina's talent playing piano, but I'd never actually heard her play. Was this her playing now?

I slipped in through the front doors, eyes immediately seeking out the grand piano and its player. Sure enough, there sat Lumina, looking anxious but playing wonderfully all the same. The cause of her stress was obvious. Miss Romana was standing over her granddaughter and watching her every move. I bit my lip. Though I wasn't sure why exactly, it was deeply troubling for me to see Lumina so distressed. Sebastian, Romana's butler, was standing near the stairs. Like me, he looked upset by the proceedings. Also, he was the only person who had noticed me come in. He gave me a little smile and a wave. I forced myself to smile in return. The air was stiff with tension, even with the piano music in the background, echoing slightly in the vast hall.

Finally, the piece ended. Lumina turned on the piano bench to face her grandmother, pale and shaky from nerves. Romana looked at her granddaughter levelly. I held my breath, waiting.

"Good work, Lumina," the room breathed a sigh of relief. "You can play any piece perfectly, just as it's written. Now you must learn to play more freely."

Judgment made, Romana shuffled off in the direction of her room. Sebastian straightened up and followed his mistress in silence. Romana nodded to me in acknowledgement as she passed. Their little procession turned the corner. A door opened and closed with a creak. Lumina and I were alone.

The moment her grandmother was out of sight, Lumina slumped in her seat, staring unseeingly at the spot where Romana had stood moments before. To my intense shock and horror, I saw that Lumina's eyes were slowly filling with angry tears.

"Hey, don't cry," I said, sitting down next to her on the piano bench making Lumina jump. I felt distinctly awkward about the whole situation; I'd never been great at comforting people.

Lumina sniffed and looked up at me with watery eyes. Her face, I decided, wasn't sad exactly. She looked more frustrated than anything. Slowly, she put her head in her hands and took deep breaths. "I just don't get it," she murmured. "She never explains what she says to me. What does 'playing more freely' mean anyway? Isn't it enough that I can play the music right?"

She gazed hopelessly up at me and I realized with a start that the question was aimed at me. I racked my brain for a suitable answer. "Um…" I stalled. "Well, I'm not sure but I think playing more freely means to just try to have more fun playing. You do like playing the piano, don't you?"

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Lumina 

_Have more fun playing. _My indignant frustration evaporated at his words. I hadn't enjoyed playing piano in years. I'd always seen it as a chore, something that was forced on me. I struggled with myself for a moment then stood up, not facing Ryuu. Slowly, quietly, I began to speak.

"I've been playing piano since I was really little. My Auntie Romana taught me most of what I knew when my mother and I came to visit. She used to praise me for playing the right notes. I loved piano.

"But, after my mother…" I paused and took a deep breath. "After I moved in with Auntie Romana, things were different. She gradually began to expect more of me. The more pressure she put on me to play the songs perfectly, the less I liked playing. It became something that I dreaded doing. Now, I can barely remember why I used to like it so much," I turned to face Ryuu, my eyes swimming with tears again. "It's just that hearing her telling me what I knew all along, that what she used to expect from me isn't enough anymore; it's hard."

Ryuu looked concerned. "Lumina, I-- "

"Lumina," We both whipped around to see my grandma standing with one hand on the banister. In silence, she motioned imperiously for me to come.

I looked back at Ryuu. He touched my shoulder gently and gave me a comforting smile. Then he was out the door and I stood alone in the hall with my grandmother. I walked warily over to her, expecting the worst. The expression on her face was difficult to read. It looked to be a cross between sadness and determination. Finally she sighed.

"Lumina, what you said just now, is that really how you feel?"

I squared my shoulders. "Yes."

The anguish in my Auntie Romana's face deepened. "My dear," she began. "I never wanted you to be unhappy. Whether you wish to continue playing piano or not should be your choice. I will not force you to do something you hate."

I froze, shocked. My grandma leaned in and gave me a hug before departing for her

rooms. I stood stalk-still, not sure what to think.

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Spring 6, Year 1 

The day after the incident with my grandmother, I walked sheepishly down the stairs. I peered over the banister at the grand piano. It looked expectant. _I won't force you to play, Lumina._ That's what my Auntie Romana had said yet somehow, no matter how much I had dreaded it, I was finding it difficult to break the routine. Slowly, I crept down the last couple of steps and over to the piano. I rested my fingers on the old ivory keys. I couldn't help myself. I played a short melody softly. I smiled. The tune was one that my mother used to sing to me when I was a little girl.

"That's beautiful."

I jumped badly, startled out of my preoccupations. Apparently Ryuu had let himself in. He was standing next to me, eyes full of concern.

"I'm sorry, I didn't mean to scare you," he said at once. I smiled weakly. "I just thought I'd come check on you. Are… how are you?"

The shadow of a frown crossed my face. "I'm alright, I guess."

"If you say so. Well, here. I brought you this," he pulled a flower from his rucksack. _Typical Ryuu,_ I found myself thinking, a smile quivering on my lips.

_I'm not sure but I thing playing more freely means to just try to have more fun playing. You do like playing the piano, don't you? _I stared at the flower for a moment. Finally my decision was made. I looked Ryuu in the eyes and gave him, for the first time today, a real smile. "I like this, Ryuu," I offered, gently pushing his gift away. "But I really shouldn't take it now. I have to practice," I gestured to the piano.

He looked taken aback then he grinned at me. I beamed back. His smiles are contagious.

"I'll leave you to that then. See you tomorrow," he said and left, putting the flower carefully back into his bag.

I sat down at the piano bench still feeling light-hearted. _Thank you, Ryuu,_ I thought as I began to play a slow, classical piece.

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Okays, that seemed a little rushed to me. Did anyone else think that? All reviews are read and appreciated. The next chapter is all in Ryuu's pov, something I haven't tried yet, so stay tuned!


	4. The Pyrotechnic Twins

Hello again, fellow fanfiction writers and readers! Okay, I lied. This is not an all Ryuu chapter. I decided to move that chapter back one so don't worry, it'll be all Ryuu next time I swear! Sorry if anyone read my little after-note and was looking forward to that. This chapter is almost entirely from my imagination. There isn't any cutscene or special event with the pyrotechnic twins, as all you die-hard fans know, I'm sure. There should have been though and that is my prompt for this chapter. Zomg, it's disclaimer time!

Disclaimer: I do not own Harvest Moon or any of its spiffy plots, character, places, etc.

Oops, I almost forgot. Thank you oodles to Hay Lin rox, Phoenix Avenger IV, roxas-kh, and lostladyknight who were all super nice and reviewed my last chapter. I love you guys!

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Spring 8, Year 1

Lumina

-Flashback- It was a typically hot, summer day in Forget-Me-Not Valley. With no clouds to cover it, the sun was beating unmercifully down upon the valley and all of its inhabitants. Nearly everyone was inside, the exception being a teenage girl who was resting, sweaty and panting, in the shade of a large tree just beyond Daryl, the resident mad scientist's, house. When she had recovered, a slightly younger Lumina lifted her head and observed her surroundings peacefully. It really had been an excellent idea to take a walk around and see the sights, even if she could have chosen a better day. The scenery was truly lovely in a very simple, natural way. It was definitely a nice contrast between the ornamental, dusty mansion that she had endured all spring. A lazy quiet was resting over the town. Then-

_Bang! An echoing explosion shook the sleepy valley roughly awake. Several people sitting inside their houses screamed. Lumina jumped and looked about frantically, trying to find the source of the disturbance. Her eyes fell upon the remnants of a shocking, green firework as it faded into the sky over the ocean. Momentarily forgetting the heat, Lumina leapt from the shadow of the tree and dashed to the beach. There she found two, identical, rather stout men, each boasting overalls and gray mustaches. _

_That was how I met and befriended Patrick and Kassey, the pyrotechnic twins. I started to visit them every day and soon it became part of my daily schedule. After being stuck indoor with Sebastian and my grandmother all spring, they were a breath of fresh air. They were and still are my best friends. –End Flashback-_

Almost a year later, on a Van day, I found myself walking down the stone path that leads away from my grandma's mansion, eager as always to visit the pyrotechnic twins, my insane, utterly eccentric friends. In all honesty, I think they might be the second most unusual people I've ever met (the first would be Daryll of course. Mad scientists always seem to steal that title). They're a hoot; they always seem to know just what to do and say to cheer me up.

But somehow, part of me felt slightly down, not something that normally happens when I'm on my way to see the twins. Ryuu hadn't come to visit me today. I kept telling myself that I shouldn't be disappointed; it was silly to think he would come every day, even if he had thus far. He had a lot of things to do, especially on a Van day, and was likely to forget about me every now and then. But I expected him to come anyway. I liked seeing him. I liked the way he listened to me and always seemed to say the right thing. I liked how his smile would always make me grin and giggle along with him. I liked the perfect chocolate color of his hair and-

I came to a halt and shook my head vigorously to dislodge my daydreams. I had to pay attention to where I was walking or I'd trip or run into a tree. Sighing, I peered around to see where my feet had taken me while I wasn't watching.

As it turned out, I was at the point in the pathway where the main road that ran all the way from Vesta's farm intersected it. From where I was standing I could see all the way down to where the mountain pass Chris took every morning to get to work began. So I could easily distinguish Van, but that wasn't hard. He was as large and red-clad as I remembered. Though it was hard to tell from here, he appeared to be chatting idly with someone. Someone who seemed very, very familiar to me.

Almost before I knew what was happening, I was running toward him.

"Ryuu!" I called, waving as I jogged over. He looked up from the fishing rod Van was showing him.

He trotted forward to meet me halfway. "Lumina!" he exclaimed, grinning. "I didn't think I'd see you here. Are you buying something from Van?" he indicated the plump, rather annoyed man standing a few feet away.

"Not today," I said breathlessly. "Actually, I was on my way to see Patrick and Kassey."

His expression was blank, confused. "I don't think I've met them yet."

"Really?" he shook his head. "Oh, they're great! They live just down the hill from the Villa. They make fireworks. You should come with me sometimes- you'd like them."

"How about now?" He cocked his head slightly to the side and smiled.

I blinked, caught off guard as usual. "A-are you sure? You don't have anything to do?" I eyed him suspiciously before glancing at Van over Ryuu's shoulder. He was giving me a dirty look that actually made me feel kind of bad for diverting Ryuu's attention from the polished, bamboo fishing rod still clutched in the traveling salesman's pudgy fingers.

Ryuu turned his head, following my gaze. When he saw Van, he actually laughed. "Hey, don't worry about him," he assured me. "That fishing rod will still be here next time Van comes. And besides, I can't fish to save my life."

I nodded slightly and tried to smile, not at all reassured. "Come on, let's go."

We started walking. Ryuu fell into step beside me perfectly. I was overjoyed to see him, definitely happier than I had a right to be, and I was touched that he was skipping out on work to come with me but it was making me guilty. Ryuu had spoken like he was done for the day but I was skeptical. I guess it must have shown on my face.

"Okay, what's with that look? I told you not to worry about it, remember?"

I peered up into his face. His expression was stern but his brown eyes were sparkling with laughter. The tension and anxiety I'd felt evaporated. "What look?" I said innocently.

"That look on your face," he said. "Your tortured with guilt face. It's driving me crazy."

"I have no idea what you're talking about," I replied with a dignity that was ruined by the smirk creeping across my features.

He rolled his eyes. "Give me a break!" He said and gave me a light shove on the shoulder. It had hardly enough force to make me wobble slightly.

We argued all the way down the hill to the low stone wall that surrounded the twins' property. Not real, serious arguing. It was more like brother and sister nothing-better-to-do-than-bicker arguing. I could have sworn that I was glowing. I couldn't remember feeling this happy and content in a long time.

I only felt more elated when I sighted the twins waiting for me- us. I broke away from Ryuu and jogged over to greet my friends and introduce Ryuu. I barely noticed that they were eyeing Ryuu and me carefully and muttering conspiratorially.

"Patrick, Kassey," I gushed, hugging them both in turn. "How are you two?"

Patrick spoke first. "Fine, fine. Same as yesterday, surprisingly."

I beamed and Kassey cleared his throat. "Who's your friend, Lu?"

"Oh, right," I blushed slightly. I'd almost forgotten that Ryuu was here. "Patrick, Kassey, this is my friend Ryuu. He just moved into the old farm."

"Yeah, we heard of you," Kassey shook Ryuu's hand; Patrick mimicked him.

Ryuu smiled good-naturedly. "Nice to meet you. I'm sorry we didn't meet earlier."

"Agreed," Patrick said cheerfully. By now both twins had purged the dark looks from their features. "Say, how would you like to play a little game with us?"

Kassey spoke up now. "That would be fun. I'm not as good as Pat so you should start by playing me. Sound good?" Ryuu nodded. "Right-o. I'll go get the board."

Kassey scurried off to the strange on-stilts home he shared with his brother leaving Patrick, Ryuu, and me alone together. The following minutes were awkward in the extreme. I realized for the first time that Patrick and Kassey might not appreciate me bringing another friend to our get togethers, which had, until now, been reserved only for the three of us. I scuffed my tennis shoes in the dirt and waited impatiently for the firework twin's return.

Time crawled by. Finally, Kassey returned laden with all the essential gaming materials. I hurried to help him and before long we had the game board and pieces set up and ready for play. Kassey flopped down on the ground and motioned for Ryuu to do the same. The game started. Both men were immediately caught up in the strategy of the twins' signature territory capture game.

I smiled happily. I was immensely thankful that everyone seemed to be getting along well.

Quite unusually, however, Patrick didn't seem at all interested in the contest. He scratched his head and I gave him a questioning glance. Surreptitiously, Patrick pulled me aside, a little away from Ryuu and Kassey.

"What's wrong?" I whispered. His face was serious, not something that normally happened.

He glanced back at Ryuu before letting his eyes flick back to my concerned face. "He seems nice," he said. I glared at him, silently telling him to get on with it. "Do you like him Lumina?"

I didn't stop to ponder that there might be a deeper meaning to this otherwise casual question. "Of course I like him. Why, don't you?"

"Lu," he said, chuckling. "I don't think you got what I was saying. I meant, well," he looked sheepish. "Are you, you know, in love with him?"

I was stunned, which seemed to be happening to me a lot lately. I opened and closed my mouth but no sound escaped. Where had that come from? I wasn't in love with anyone, was I? I thought briefly of Ryuu's charming smile whenever I accepted one of his presents. My cheeks turned pink.

Patrick seemed to take my silence and slight blush as assent. "Kassey and I wondered when we saw you two walking so close together," I blushed again. "And we were curious too. As your friends, Kassey and I like to approve of your choice of men. We wouldn't want you running off to be a bride with just anyone, you see."

"Patrick!" I yelped, my face going scarlet. Ryuu and Kassey paused their game to look over at us with raised eyebrows.

"Everything all right?" Kassey called.

"Yes, yes, we're fine," Patrick replied loudly, though that did not entirely mask the significant look that he sent his twin. Patrick grabbed my wrist and tugged me swiftly back over to where Ryuu and Kassey still had their game paused.

"Alright, then. Where were we?" Patrick said genially, peering down at the now colorful game board. "Would you look at that? Young Ryuu's not doing half as bad as I expected him to. Come on then, start the timer up again. Whose turn is it?"

* * *

Ryuu

When the game finally ended the sun was beginning to sink into the ocean. As it turned out, the game was much closer than I'd expected it to be. After a long, heated discussion, Patrick ruled that Kassey was the winner. I shook his hand.

"Anytime you wanna play with us," Kassey said, grinning. "Come on by. We're usually up in our house."

I grinned back. "I'll do that. I'm going to win next time though; you can count on it." We all laughed. Out of the corner of my eye I noticed Lumina beaming at us.

Kassey clapped me on the back. "You're a good kid."

"Thanks," I replied.

"I have to go," Lumina said, speaking for the first time since she'd shouted at Patrick. "Auntie Romana will worry if I don't get home soon."

Automatically, I piped up, "I'll walk with you."

Lumina smiled sweetly and nodded. I started towards her; Patrick caught me by the shoulder. "Hey," he said, his voice so low that I almost couldn't hear him. "Take good care of her."

I looked down at him seriously. "I'll do my best," I mutter, my voice just as low as his. He nodded.

"Ryuu. Are you coming?" Lumina was already heading up the treacherous hill that lead to the Villa. I jogged to catch up with her and fell easily into step beside her.

I wanted to fill the dead air that stretched out between us as we began the ascent, but I couldn't think of anything to say. Patrick's words were still ringing in my ears. _Take good care of her. _The tension, the weight of my new responsibility, must have shown on my face becauseLumina seemed to notice the abrupt change in atmosphere and peered up at me anxiously.

I refused to look straight at her. Slowly her look of concern turned to one of amusement. "Let me guess," she said smiling cutely again. "You're probably worried about all the work you missed while you were goofing off with me," I blinked in surprise and turned to her. We were at the gates to the Villa's courtyard.

"So tell me," she said, her amber eyes dancing teasingly. "About how late will you have to stay up to finish all of the work that you skipped out on?"

My sullen mood crumbled away; I couldn't be worried with Lumina standing next to me smiling and joking. I pretended to think. I put my hands behind my head and sighed. "I dunno. Maybe midnight, one in the morning- around then."

She giggled and pushed me gently. I ruffled her hair and began walking down the hill. Lumina fixed her headband before calling after me. "I'll see you tomorrow, right?"

I halted and looked back at her. "What do you think?"

She smiled and skipped gracefully to the mansions large, oaken doors.

I waited until the polished doors were closed behind her before setting off again. As I walked, I raised my wrist to eye level and squinted at my watch. 5:47. I swore lightly and sprinted the rest of the way down the hill, hoping to catch Van before he closed shop at six.

* * *

Okay, so I know that took a really long time to write and all and I'm very sorry. I've been super busy with end of the school year crap. I'm out of school now, though so you can be expecting more chapters soon. If there's anyone left out in cyberspace who's still reading this story, then know that your reviews are all read and appreciated. Tune in next time for the all Ryuu chapter: The Blue Feather (don't worry, he's not proposing)! Yay, summer! 


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